Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Non-Fiction 2017 | Page 53

The abundant supply of water also makes Fangbang a very attractive place to settle. The area
around Fangbang is surrounded by the Huangpu River on the east and Suzhou Creek on the north.
These water sources can provide abundant water not only for human use but also for plough land
irrigation and the needs of livestock. The short distance between the coast line and Fangbang also made
it possible for the fishing industry to bloom. Moreover, the old city area was not too close to the
Yangtze River, so disastrous flooding could be narrowly averted. These water routes formed by many
navigable rivers also enhanced an excellent logistic system. The excess nourishment could easily be
delivered and distributed inland or overseas. At the same time, foreign goods could enter the city from a
wide area over the globe because of the Fangbang area’s seaward facing location on the Yangtze delta.
Therefore, all these distinct geographical properties can explain why the population grew and so many
different kinds of commerce and entrepreneurship could flourish on the sides of the canal in the old
days.
All the above mentioned ideal conditions at the area for agriculture and commerce resulted in
a vast group of people living together in a stable, safe community. After a certain period, this
community would be expanded and separated into some small strategically located villages, which in
turn would grow to become a thriving city.
People can live in a much more secured and rich environment in a city compared to a village.
The migrated peasants managed to produce more than enough food and fuel, and more importantly,
they knew how to store up the excess supplies for the future. They also knew how to build better
shelter for themselves. They could build a strong wall that surrounded and defended the whole city area;
they could make stronger constructions with better facilities for themselves to live in. Moreover,
without the fear of being hungry, attacked or homeless, the original migrants could have more free
time to think about some other aspects for life other than just farming. This newfound time for
recreation lead to the beginning of a cognitive revolution. A new platform was well prepared for some
cultural and intellectual advancement.
People in the city knew that they had to keep their assets wisely and safely, but they also
started to realize they did not have the power to safeguard the yield of the crops or the fecundity of the
flocks. They could never fight with natural disasters. Since ancient time, most people have embedded
some mythic beliefs in their soul. These beliefs indicated that people’s prosperity depended on their
virtuous actions; human’s meritorious conduct linked to assistance from the universe. However, this
intangible power from the universe was so remote that people started to seek help from deities shaped
in the images of objects they have seen on Earth. These objects could be humans, animals, rocks, trees
among other things. Gradually, people’s process of seeking help through these deities became a form of
worshipping activities; as a result, a notion of religion was developed. People now realised their
devotion to a religion provided support to prolong their lives, conquer incurable diseases, upgrade their
academic capability and even nourish emotional capacity.
In fact, religion not only embraces individuals’ hopes for good health, happiness and prosperity,
but it has also been known as the third great unifier of humankind, alongside money and empires. In
the old city of Shanghai, beautifully built religious monumental architectures can be found in many
places. Some examples of these structures being the Confucian Temple (Wen Miao), the Taoist temples
(Temple of the Town God and Baiyun temple), the Buddhist temples (Chen Xiang Ge Nunnery and
Fa Zang Jiang temple), the Muslim Mosque (Peach garden Mosque), the Catholic church (Dongjiadu
Cathedral), and the Christian church (Qingxin Tang).
These monumental architectures remain popular as tourist attractions these days, but I
remember our family only had a chance to visit the Confucian Temple during our trip. Confucius,
Kong Fuzi was a great philosopher in the Era of the Warring States. He denied himself as a founder of a
religion or an original thinker of a doctrine. He regarded himself as a ‘transmitter’ of existing ideas and
wisdom of the past, combining both knowledges into an ethical system - called “Li”. This system
presented a set of standards for moral behavior for all people, including issues about the importance of
justice and honesty. Kong Fuzi hoped the chaotic situation of China at his time could be returned to
the right natural order, and education was the key to the restoration of the society. He emphasized the
significance of a well balanced relationship between human and nature, supported the existing Chinese
ritual practices such as ancestor worship, the primacy of the family, respect for elders and loyalty, and
promoted the value of hospitality - he believed it was a delight to have visitors from afar.